Willy Wonka's Rejected Invention
by Yva J
Summary: We all know about Willy Wonka's successful inventions, this story is about one of his rejected ideas.


_Author's Note: This little story idea just came to me while I was working on 'In Another's Eyes'. I don't know where the idea emerged, perhaps because I keep remembering these advertisements at the movies that say 'please turn off your cell phone' and thought it would be fun to sort of dapple about with this._

_It is definitely a Depp Wonka story, simply because of the time element involved. Since I am writing about the issue of technology and have never written a story about the 2005 film before, I thought I'd give it a go with this little story. If I come up with other inventions that could be rejected, then I might add other chapters to this, but for practical purposes, this is a completed story._

_Here's hoping that you enjoy it._

* * *

**Willy Wonka's Rejected Invention**

A 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' short story

By: Yva J.

It was a day like so many others.

Willy Wonka was sitting in the Inventing Room lulling over his latest invention; chocolate cell phones that really worked.

He was quite proud of this creation, so proud that he managed to incorporate the finest ring tone in the world for it.

"Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka the amazing chocolatier…" seemed to be ravaging in his mind and he broke into a broad grin when he handed one of the objects to an Oompa Loompa.

"Put this in the replicator, kay? I need about five copies of it as soon as possible," He requested. "Make sure you use the un-melting chocolate variety or these will fall apart like Pondicherry's chocolate palace."

The Oompa Loompa crossed his arms over his chest and bowed. Willy returned the gesture and smiled at the mere thought of presenting his new invention to Charlie and his family come dinnertime.

Once the Oompa Loompa had scurried off, Willy started to hum his theme music as Charlie came rushing into the Inventing Room. He stopped right next to him, but also in front of the machine that made the Everlasting Gobstoppers.

"Mr. Wonka?" Charlie spoke his name in a rush once he had approached where the chocolatier was sitting. "We were supposed to meet in the Chocolate Room after I got out of school."

The chocolatier took a deep breath. "Oh wangdoodle, I forgot," he mumbled. "I'm sorry." He got to his feet and reached for the clipboard that was on the nearby table. "Inspiration doesn't take a number, you understand."

"Yeah, I understand," Charlie said as he looked at his best friend. To the boy, there was absolutely nothing that the chocolatier could do that was wrong, but every so often, he found himself becoming quite unhappy with being second in Willy's world. After all, to Charlie, there was no one more important than his mentor, and he always hoped that he would be seen as being just as important to the chocolatier.

Ever since the day Willy Wonka had let him and his family move into the factory, the chocolatier had become not only the boy's mentor, but also his best friend as well as a surrogate brother.

Sometimes, like right now, Charlie had started to feel as though Willy tended to forget all about him for the sake of creating another confection. "It must have been great," he eventually mused, his voice about as excited as a trip to see Willy's father.

"Well…yes," Willy said, but looked at the downtrodden expression on his heir's face. "You were kinda bummed out that I didn't come, weren't cha?" He asked.

"A little," Charlie admitted. "I know you're busy, though so I guess it's OK."

"It's not, though," Willy said honestly as the Oompa Loompa came over with the prototype of his latest invention and handed him the original and four copies. He nodded to his worker and watched as he scurried off. "Where was I?"

"You just said 'it's not, though'," Charlie said. "But it is. I'm just a kid and you're a grown up with lots of work to do. Mom and dad told me that that was the way it was when we moved here. I guess I sometimes forget. I'm learning everything as fast as I can, but sometimes it just feels like it is all happening too fast."

Willy considered the honesty of the youth and nodded. "Charlie, I really didn't know. I 'spose I should be a bit more accommodating to you."

"Mr. Wonka…" the boy began.

"…No, Willy," the chocolatier said as he patted his chest. "You call me Willy from now on, kay?"

"OK," Charlie said. "Now, what did I want to say?"

"Well, the last thing you said was 'Mr. Wonka', and then I asked you to call me 'Willy'," the Chocolatier offered. "Does that help?"

"Not really," Charlie grinned, but after several seconds, he remembered what he wanted to say. "You've been more than accommodating to us. You let my family come here, you are patient with me when I blow something up."

"When did you blow something up?" Willy asked, his eyes widening in shock.

"Never, it's just a figure of speech," Charlie said.

The chocolatier reached for his cane, but shoved one of the cell phone chocolates into the boy's hands. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he said earnestly. "Explosions here are not a good thing; whether you mean it in gist or for real." As he spoke, he began to fiddle with the chocolate invention that was in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Charlie asked.

"It's just a quick test on one of my newer inventions," Willy said.

"What kind of test?" Charlie asked, but much to his surprise, the piece of chocolate that Willy had handed to him had started to ring. The tune 'Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka, the amazing chocolatier' suddenly filled the Inventing Room.

Several Oompa Loompas turned their heads and Charlie was left to feel as many people do when cell phones go off in concerts, movies, or restaurants. He started to press the buttons on it, his fingers meshing into the chocolate, but the music simply would not stop.

He glanced over to the chocolatier and noticed that he was standing there tapping his cane to the music, a bright smile covering his lips. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the discomfort that shadowed his protégé's face.

"Willy!" Charlie shouted, his voice somehow above the sounds of the annoying chocolate cell phone. It only dawned on him several seconds later that this was the very first time he had spoken the chocolatier's given name and he had done so in aggravation.

When Willy turned and looked at him, the chocolatier could see the typical deer trapped in the headlights look crossing the boy's face. Instead of getting upset however, the man started to laugh, the loud hiccup-like sounds of his amusement filling the room. "You should see your face," he said between giggles.

"How do I shut this thing off?" The boy asked, by this time his voice was even more agitated than it was when he had called out Willy's name.

"I don't know," Willy said, "I'm still testing it."

"You mean this thing is going to keep running until the batteries die?" Charlie asked. "Don't get me wrong, Willy, your theme music is kind of catchy, but this could drive me insane in the next five minutes unless you plan to do something."

Willy took a deep breath. "Truthfully Charlie, I haven't gotten that far in the tests. I just asked the Oompa Loompas to replicate the master copy and now we have about five of them. The prototype and two of the copies are on the table over there. You have one and I have one."

"Can't you hang it up, like cancel the call?" Charlie asked.

The chocolatier shook his head. "I don't know how."

"You never learned to operate a cell phone?" Charlie asked.

"No, did you?" Willy asked.

"I was too poor to have one, though some of the kids in my class did," Charlie said. "What can we do to get this thing to stop ringing?"

"I don't know," Willy said.

Charlie took a deep breath as he looked at the mass of chocolate in his hand. Why didn't he think of this sooner? He brought the object to his mouth and took a bite of it. The music abruptly fizzled out.

Once the Inventing Room was quiet, Willy looked at Charlie. "Cell phone chocolate doesn't work all that well, does it?" He asked.

"Well, let's just say it tastes a lot better than it sounds," Charlie grinned.

"Now wait a minute, I think the ring tone was the very best part," Willy looked at him. "The tune is rather nice, don't you think?"

The boy took a deep breath. "I think I would rather talk about the whole accommodation issue instead of that particular invention," he said honestly.

Willy looked at him. "So showing this to your p.-.p.-p.- mom and dad tonight at the dinner table is probably out of the question?"

"Definitely, you know how Mom is about business discussions at the dinner table. Since this is a cell phone invention, I would be willing to bet that it would really make her crazy," Charlie said. "It may not be worth the risk."

Willy looked at the boy. "Charlie?"

"Yes?"

"I'm glad that I showed you this before dinner," he said smiling impishly, his violet eyes shining brightly. "I don't want to make anyone angry with my candy."

"No, I don't either," Charlie said as he put his arm around his mentor's shoulder. The chocolatier cringed for a moment and then relaxed. "Besides, this one could very easily cause a whole slew of trouble."

"Maybe we can special delivery one of them to Slugworth's office! I'm sure he'd be thrilled to have a real Wonka recipe," Willy mused.

Charlie laughed out loud. "I'd do it, but only if you use that ring tone!"

Willy went over to his notebook, laid down the phone that was in his hand, and began to scribble a note reminding him to post a chocolate cell phone to Slugworth. Glancing at the calendar and seeing that the date read March 30, he could not help but smile at the prospect of his most earnest competitor holding a Wonka Cell Phone on April Fools Day and getting an earful of his theme music.

Instead of saying anything about this, Willy reached for one of the copies and bit into it. After a second, he looked at Charlie. "You know, maybe you're right, Charlie, this really does taste much better than it sounds. Shall we take one of the copies to your Grandpa Joe to try?"

"As long as you don't make it ring, I'm sure he'd enjoy it," Charlie laughed as the two friends walked out of the Inventing Room.

They made their way down the hall in the direction of the Chocolate Room as Willy broke the silence. "Charlie?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry I missed our meeting," Willy said. "I guess when I start working, I just shut everyone and everything out."

The boy nodded. "I know, and if you still want to make it up to me, stay clear of chocolate cell phones…there's enough of them scattered about the real world as is."

Willy nodded and smiled. "It's a deal!"

The End…


End file.
